


Petrichor

by bryar6



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, Developing Friendships, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, canon characters only - Freeform, character backstory, headcanons, tags updating as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:14:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28744539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bryar6/pseuds/bryar6
Summary: A collection of vignettes featuring Sebastian and his relationship with the townsfolk of Stardew Valley over the years (prior to the Farmer) including but not limited to, meeting his friends, getting his motorcycle, Kent becoming his stand-in dad, exploring the valley, creating a band, and so on.Or, author makes a bunch of headcanons and turns them into ficlets with found family dynamics and fluff.
Relationships: Sam & Sebastian (Stardew Valley)
Kudos: 6





	Petrichor

**Author's Note:**

> Tags and notes/potential warnings will be updated with each chapter! Installments may greatly vary in length from short-ish to much longer. 
> 
> Small note: I do not ship Sam and Seb, so their relationship in this series will be purely platonic for my purposes but feel free to read/interpret as you wish.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and Sam's first meeting as kiddos! Sometime after Seb's dad is out of the picture and recently after Sam's family moved to the valley.

“Hey!” 

Sebastian peers over his shoulder, tugging aside his hood to find the source of the call. A boy no older than himself waves, golden hair dancing around his face and he beams like the sun. Sebastian cringes away, diverting his eyes as though this boy’s brilliance is blinding. 

“What’s your name?” The boy holds out a small, dirty hand that he does not shake. It drops back to his side in disappointment. 

Sebastian glances around him to confirm that the boy isn’t asking anyone else, and to his misfortune, he’s alone in this corner of the playground. His mom is off talking to some other adult and he sighs. 

“I’m playing by myself,” he insists, turning away and picking up a stick, tearing the bark off in large chunks. It’s only a moment before the boy is on his other side, smiling widely and picking up his own branch, copying Sebastian in meticulously pulling away the flaking bits.

“I’m Sam. That’s my dad over there,” he says, pointing to a tall, blond man in a bomber jacket. The man in question is talking animatedly to Sebastian’s mother and he feels himself prickle in defense. Seeing his mom smiling is good— he just wants her to be happy —but he’s still tempted to tear her away and ask to go home. He doesn’t want anyone else in his life. Including this terribly persistent and talkative boy. 

Sebastian stays quiet instead, watching Sam pensively. Sam brandishes his stick at him and shifts into a fighting stance, not unlike the ones that are described in Sebastian’s favorite fantasy books. 

“Sword fight me!” Sam demands, clacking his stick against Sebastian’s.

He frowns and looks down at the branch in his hands, mop of dark hair falling into his eyes and shading him from the sun for a moment. He wants to tell the boy to leave him alone, to go find someone else to play with. He wants to sit here in this corner and be quiet and not need to worry about the other kids. Eventually Mom would give up trying to convince him to have friends and then he could sit in his room and read books all day. 

But the smile on Sam’s face is just so wide and Sebastian admittedly _does_ want to play sword fight with him. In his head he’s already picturing the story, two knights from warring kingdoms in a raging battlefield, dragons soaring overhead in a sky blazing red…

Sebastian smiles ever so slightly and raises his stick in defense, pushing back against Sam’s attack. The blond boy giggles and responds in kind, careful to move slow enough that Sebastian can anticipate his hits, enunciating each strike with _ha’s_ and exaggerated grunts of effort. 

Sebastian lets himself fall into the little game, moving quicker and with more precision each time. Sam’s eyes narrow in focus and they attack more fiercely now, back and forth in exchanged blows and ducks, careful not to land any actual hits. 

Sam steps back to defend himself and missteps, a foot landing on the raised border of the playground and trips. He falls back onto the grass behind it with a yelp. 

Sebastian immediately discards his stick and watches apprehensively, concern growing at the small tears welling in the boy’s bright eyes. 

“Are you okay?” he asks, dropping to the grass beside him, keeping a careful distance. 

Sam nods, appearing his pride the only thing injured. “Yeah, m'fine. That was really fun,” he replies with a muffled sniff, wiping a sleeve across his face. 

“Yeah,” Sebastian says, considering the happy warmth in his chest that doesn't fade, lingering comfortably. 

“Samson? Dinner will be ready soon,” Sam’s father calls, waving his son over. Sam beside him groans and flops onto the grass, tearing up fistfuls of the green blades. 

“Just one more minute, Dad!” 

“One more minute,” his father agrees, chuckling deeply and sharing a funny, exasperated look with Robin. Sebastian worries for a moment that his mom might have called him while he wasn’t listening, but she doesn’t seem in any hurry, and so he relaxes. 

Sebastian feels a twinge of sadness that the boy has to go already and mulls for a moment before saying anything. He does sense a weariness forming from even this small interaction but he feels less. . .lonely, now. 

“I’m Sebastian.” 

Sam’s grin is lopsided and huge and so expressive that he just can’t help glancing away again, like he’s afraid the happiness and energy might be contagious. 

“Nice to meet you, Seb,” the blond boy says, sitting upright now and holding his knees close to his chest and resting his chin. “You’re my new best friend now.” And by Sam’s expression, he couldn’t do anything to change this bold statement if he wanted to. 

“Sebastian,” he corrects, but the smile that had worked its way onto his face tugs a little stronger. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have a friend.


End file.
